Reference NETZSCH Gerätebau GmbH
Industry 4.0-ready
Upon moving into its new building at its location in Selb, NETZSCH Gerätebau GmbH set the course for the working world 4.0. The goal: focusing on everyone within the entire value chain to increase efficiency and quality. König + Neurath supported the entire process with thought-through concepts and personalised office solutions. We arranged the open space architecture which the new building afforded so that the individual departments work together even better today; internal process flows became leaner and more efficient, allowing the organisation to grow further in this manner.
Industry 4.0-ready
As a medium-sized enterprise, the NETZSCH Group is one of the Hidden Champions in Germany, whose divisions – without the broad public being too aware of this – have grown to become international market leaders in clearly-defined market segments. Founded in 1873, the Group’s business segments today include Analysing & Testing, Grinding & Dispersing as well as Pumps & Systems. It has a global workforce of over 3,400 people who operate from 210 sales and production centres in 35 countries around the world.
For us, digitalisation is not equivalent to automation. Instead, it raises employees to the next level and makes them the focus within the entire value chain.
NETZSCH Gerätebau GmbH is part of the Analysing & Testing division. For over 50 years, is has been focusing on methods and product developments for thermal analyses, and to determine thermophysical properties. In 2015, NETZSCH Gerätebau GmbH invested around € 10 million into a 6,500 m2-large new building located in Selb, Bavaria, to build a process-optimised working place. A production and development unit was to be created here which would be able to implement customers’ wishes for quality custom-built products even faster and more efficiently than before. Additionally, the new working place was to provide an answer to the requirements placed on the Industry 4.0, which advances the digital transformation of enterprises.
In collaboration with R² Bürodesign GmbH, König + Neurath implemented these requirements into office worlds 4.0 and innovative business transactions: We intelligently combined the spaces dedicated to the individual production steps on the lower floor. Instead of fixed workstations, needs-based assembly points were created. Our planning no longer envisioned isolated departments.
The new, open infrastructure relies throughout on transparency, communication and the cooperation between departments for a faster exchange and shorter distances. This is also taken up by the offices’ glass walls which offer a direct view of the production.
We placed the offices dedicated to research, development, procurement and material planning around the atrium on the top floor. All 60 work stations were created to embrace an ergonomic design, some with the height-adjustable desk system from the TALO.S line, and office chairs from the JET family of furniture. Cabinets from the ACTA.CLASSIC range are used for storage. The three conference rooms that can be merged into one large room when required, were furnished with swivel chairs from the OKAY.II line, and the practical BASIC.4 table system.
On the top floor is where we staged the building’s open architecture: Around 400 linear metres from the HORIZONTE H68 transparent wall system with double-glazing and electronically-controlled blinds, plus HORIZONTE H40 create a lightweight, elegant look and a direct view of the production. With the new social area of a homey design, we gave the company a novel, pulsating communication hotspot – a popular starting point and centre of the company for around 250 employees in production and administration. Here, employees can enjoy their breaks, for example while relaxing in a NET.WORK.PALCE lounge-chair.
With the new working world created by König + Neurath, NETZSCH emphasises that both, the company’s management and production have entered the New Work era. Moving the departments closer together brought a much-desired innovation boost while upping employees’ and customer satisfaction and opening potential growth. In short: The start of the new working culture is already bearing first fruit.